


George and Nina, a play in three acts

by skycloud86



Category: 24 (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-21
Packaged: 2021-03-23 20:15:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30060972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skycloud86/pseuds/skycloud86
Summary: It was no secret to anyone at CTU that George Mason had a crush on Nina Myers, and that included Nina herself.
Relationships: George Mason/Nina Myers
Kudos: 1





	1. The First Act

It was no secret to anyone at CTU that George Mason had a crush on Nina Myers, and that included Nina herself. It was also very clear to everyone that she had her own crush, on her very-much-a-married-man boss, Jack Bauer. George didn't know what she saw in Jack, but he was glad that his rival for Nina's affections was married. One quiet Friday afternoon, he decided that he had to go one step further than simply having a crush on Nina and so, he was going to ask her out. His chances were close to zero, but he had made his mind up. Noticing that she seemed to be less busy than usual, he took a deep breath and walked over to her desk.

"You know, I'm no Jack, but how about we go out for a drink sometime? Say, this weekend?" he asked, hoping that he didn't sound as desperate as he felt. Nina, who seemed amused at the question, smiled at him. The last thing she wanted to do was to encourage his crush, but maybe it could be used to her advantage?

"Sure, George," she replied, repressing a smirk as a look of utter surprise washed over his face. He had been ready for either outright rejection or a subtle subject change, but not this!

"Really? Er, how's Saturday for you?" he spoke, trying his best to neither look or sound flustered. He doubted that he had succeeded in that endeavour.

"Saturday works great for me," she spoke, smiling widely. She had certainly noticed the fluster he was trying so hard to hide. As he walked back to his office, she was sure he was walking with a spring in his step, and she wondered how she could take advantage of this. Glancing over at Jack, she could tell that he had clearly been watching them talk, as his eyes followed George, and she was sure that he was actually jealous. Now that, to her, was a very interesting development. He had been having some problems with his marriage for a while, but maybe it was more in trouble than she thought? In regards to that, she didn't want to be the wedge that drove Jack and Teri apart, she wanted to be the one who took advantage of the gap left by the wedge. She guessed that his job was a pretty big reason for the problems, it wasn't as if Jack could just discuss his day at the dinner table, so who better than someone who knew what he did for a living to replace Teri? He could be much more open with his second in command in a way that he could never be with his wife.

A few hours passed without incident. Nina had not really spoken to either George or Jack since, but Tony had replaced them both. He had probably spoken to her more that afternoon than he had done all week, and "all week" included them sorting through paperwork for much of Tuesday. Tony's own crush on her was less well known but still almost as obvious as the one George had, and Nina wondered if he knew about the drinks. She liked him but his crush had even less chance of being realised.

"Looking forward to the weekend, Tony?" she asked as he approached her desk with a file. She watched his face, which confirmed that he knew about the drinks. George had probably been bragging ever since their conversation.

"Cubs are playing the Brewers. I hear you've got plans yourself," Tony replied. He had been disappointed to hear of Mason's offer, but he was sure it would lead nowhere. He would have to see the look on George's face on Monday morning.

"I'm feeling charitable," she replied before smiling. Tony grinned as he handed her the file, he clearly took her words the way she had hoped.

"Well, if it doesn't bloom into a whirlwind romance, you could always give me a chance?" Tony spoke, although he kind of wished he hadn't. The look on Nina's face suggested that she wasn't completely rejecting the idea, much to his relief.

"I'll have to see when I'm free," Nina spoke. She didn't expect anything to go anywhere, and she knew she had to bide her time before making a move on Jack. The timing had to be just right, down to the day or hour if necessary. As Tony returned to his desk, she glanced up at Jack's office. He was on the phone, but the look on his face suggested that it wasn't a work call. Suddenly, he slammed the receiver down before burying his face in his hands. If the timing had been right, she could have used such an opportunity to start filling the gap, but she told herself that she needed to wait.

Another couple of dull hours passed and, as Nina shut down her computer before gulping down the last of her now cold coffee, she contemplated how close she was to being activated. Of course, she had been selling information for a good few years now, which had earned her a decent amount, but she looked forward to having a bigger part to play. Her employers had not told her about when or why she would be activated, or for whose benefit she would be acting, but she felt that she was ready for anything.

"Hey Nina, did Division get the South American logs? They had to go today," Jack spoke as he approached her desk.

"Yeah, I sent them over earlier. Are you staying late again?" Nina replied, looking at his features. He had been working later than usual even for him lately, although he had tried to give her excuses that led away from his marital problems.

"I am, still got to get those reports about the Balfour case done with," Jack responded. It was the truth, but Nina knew that he was just putting off seeing Teri again for as long as he could.

"Don't work too hard, it's the weekend, remember?" Nina smiled and Jack grinned in response. Walking towards the underground parking lot, she was satisfied with how things were going.


	2. The Second Act

Nina noticed that she had a bit of a developing problem. The evening, being spent in an upscale bar that she knew was popular with those who worked at Division, was actually going rather well. George Mason outside of work, she also discovered, was actually quite charming when he didn't need to be a CTU bureaucrat. Of course, she had met him outside of work before many times, although even those had been related to their jobs in some way. This was just them as normal people, enjoying a drink together. She wondered if this was really how he was, or if he was just trying extra hard to make this more than it was. Looking around, she saw some Division employees she knew from her time there, including some who would be dying to spread the gossip on Monday morning. George noticed this and decided to end the awkward silence that had been in existence for some time.

"They renovated this place recently, you know. Still got that ugly painting near the entrance, though," he remarked, glancing over at the offensive artwork. It had been painted by the bar owner and being hung up in his own business was as close as it was ever going to get to a gallery. The artwork was obvious as soon as you walked in, and Nina wondered how many potential customers had been driven away by the sight of it.

"Looks good, despite the aforementioned painting," Nina remarked, before taking a sip of her wine. When she drank, she was very aware of her limits and kept a close watch on her alcohol intake. It had been noticed by others before, and she told them the truth whenever someone asked. She wanted to keep her mind clear, although there had been times when she had just let herself go. Those times never happened in front of anyone she knew from work, of course, or anyone that would care about anything that she said when drunk. She looked at George, who seemed to be trying to come up with a good subject for conversation, and she wondered if he had married his ex-wife at a young age. Not that she was experienced when it came to dating herself, her two jobs meant that she had little opportunity. She didn't really mind that, preferring to spend much of her free time alone.

"So what would you normally be doing right now?" George asked, having come up with something to say. Nina looked at him and shrugged slightly.

"Probably on my couch, reading," she replied truthfully. If there was anything she collected, it was books. Where most people had a television, she had a bookcase. Many of her books were just old ones from college or university, but otherwise, she had an eclectic collection. She had always loved reading ever since she was able.

"What about you?" she asked, genuinely curious. She assumed he would probably be zoned out in front of the television or at a bar much like the one they were in right now. George looked at her and seemed reluctant at first to give her a truthful answer, but he decided that it wouldn't hurt.

"Hopefully this doesn't get spread around CTU, but I like to paint. I certainly could give the bar owner a few tips," he said, grinning as he looked over at the painting again. Nina looked at him with surprise, and her curiosity grew.

"Really? What do you paint?" she asked. She had not expected George Mason to be an artist. She had once tried her hand at painting, but she had quickly realised she had no talent for it. Her talents seemed to be more scientific and analytical than artistic.

"Landscapes, mostly, but sometimes I just paint something totally abstract," he replied. He had always been artistic, but it was something he kept private at work as he felt it would be better for his career. Nina was the first coworker he had ever told about his hobby, and he was pleased to share that with her. He was also pleased with how the evening was going, although he was sure that this was a one time deal, no matter how well it went for either of them.

The silence returned for a short while, although without the same awkwardness as earlier. It felt more comfortable, and both were happy to let it continue for some time.

"So what made you transfer from Division, anyway?" George asked, unsure if he really wanted to bring work into the conversation but it was something he had long been curious about.

"I felt like a change, Division was getting too dull for me," Nina replied, and it really had been. The job of Chief of Staff, below only the Director, was still a desk job but it was closer to the action than anything Division could offer. Of course, there was another reason for the transfer, but she wasn't about to discuss her other job with George Mason.

"Never regretted it?" he asked, although he wanted to bring up the rumours of why she had really transferred. Her relationship with Alberta Green had been rocky from the start and everyone at Division had assumed she had just gotten sick of her and took the first chance she got to get out of there. Nina smiled and shook her head slightly.

"Not once," she replied. The job was much more rewarding than her old one at Division had ever been. Of course, with the possibility of being activated at any moment, it would be much more exciting too. They would contact her some months before they needed her, which made getting closer to Jack such an important part. His marriage was falling apart at just the right time. The gentle fluctuation between not-so-awkward silence and conversation continued until they were two of the last people still at the bar.

"I enjoyed tonight," Nina spoke as they got up to leave. It actually had been enjoyable, and her perception of George Mason had changed considerably. Whether this ended tonight or if it could maybe be allowed a chance depended very much on how certain other relationships went. Not to mention that her other bosses could contact her any day now. She would have to think about the possibilities.


End file.
